THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 46 NUMBERS • , 18 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA ! SEPTEMBER 11, 1974 10 CEMTS A COPY ' PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
A MATCHING DONATION to the Shallotte Rescue Squad was made Thur
sday by Waccamaw Bank and Trust Company of Shallotte. The squad
collected 30,000 pennies ($300 worth) and turned the coins over to the bank,
which donated an equal amount to the community service organization. Bank
official Cecil Register and Sky lie Hewett of the squad go about the business of
rolling the coins.
If Meeting Held
City May Drop
Injunction Plan
The Southport Board of
Aldermen is prepared to
consider withdrawing the
threatened injunction when
the proposed county hospital
meeting is held.
Mayor E.B. Tomlinson, Jr.,
made the announcement
during a special board
meeting Thursday afternoon
called “to discuss the hospital
situation.”
“We don’t want to hinder
the county hospital,” the
mayor said. “Subject to the
meeting, we would consider
withdrawing the injunction.”
“We don’t want to hold up
progress on the new
hospital,” he continued. “Any
delay will not be our fault
since plans are only 60 per
cent complete, according to
reports I have heard.”
Alderman Harold Aldridge
said the decision to consider
withdrawing the injunction
when the meeting is held
“indicates intent.”
Alderman Harold Davis
said the board should con
Groundbreaking
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners will
hold ground-breaking
ceremonies for Phase I of the
Brunswick County water
system Monday at 12 noon at
the intersection of Secondary
Roads 1527 and 1528 between
Carolina Power and Light
Company’s plant and the
Pfizer, Inc., plant. Chairman
William Kopp, Jr., has an
nounced.
Modular Homes Zoned
In Certain Beach Areas?
To exclude modular homes
from Long Beach "you must
have some reason other than
you don’t like them,” at
torney James R. Prevatte
told the town council Thur
sday night.
Prevatte, who had
previously been instructed by
the council to research legal
aspects of modular home
zoning, said there was “not a
whole lot of law” concerning
the now - popular, pre -
constructed housing units.
The town, he noted, could not
prohibit modular homes but
might funnel the units into
specific areas of the com
munity, as is now done for
trailers.
The town Planning Board
on August 28 went a step
farther. A recommendation
of that body would prohibit in
Residential Zone I the
placement of “a portable
manufactured housing unit
designed for transportation
on its own chassis and
placement on a temporary or
semi - permanent foundation
having a measurement of
over 32 feet in length and over
8 feet in width.”
An attached comment
noted the description was
that of a mobile home.
Prevatte told the council
the town could zone for the
“protection of health, safety
and welfare^” and that such
zoning must be “reason
able.” ‘‘You cannot
take a broad, all - em
compassing” look and “say
W modular homes,” said
Prevatte, who offered the
opinion that the town could be
“reasonable” in requiring
that a home be inspected in
each stage of construction
because of Long Beach being
a “hurricane - prone” area.
Councilman Russ Morrison
noted that the controversial
but now - approved Emerick
modular home surpasses
state building code
requirements.
In response to a question
from Town Manager Frank
Kivett, Prevatte said ap
pearance of a home could be
regulated in a deed, but
doubted that “appearance”
could be zoned.
AMEND OR REPEAL?
In other business before the
town council Thursday night,
Prevatte reported on
Privilege License Tax
situations in other North
Carolina municipalities.
Citing information received
from the Institute of
Cites Political Issue
Fuller Quits
Hospital Post
The Smithville Township
representative on the
Brunswick County Memorial
Hospital Board of Trustees
has resigned “effective
immediately.”
Ward E. Fuller of South
port said he resigned because
he “did not anticipate that it
(the hospital) would become
such a political issue and that
I would be accused of being
anti - Dosher hospital.”
Fuller made the statement
in his letter of resignation
sent to Chairman William
Kopp, Jr., of The Brunswick
County Board of Com
missioner. Tiie letter was
dated September 5.
"I am not mad at
anybody,” Fuller told The
Pilot. “In fact, I love
everybody.”
Fuller, one of the original
members of the county
hospital board, said he did not
know what he was getting
into when he accepted the
appointment because he was
interested in the con
struction.
He said he had no interest
in local politics or petty
jealousies. “I am a builder,”
Fuller declared. “As I said in
my letter of resignation, I
have spent most of my life In
construction work and it was
for this purpose only that I
agreed to serve on the
board.”
“Any expertise that I may
Government and the N.C.
League of Municipalities, the
attorney said Long Beach
could either amend its
present tax or repeal it
altogether.
He said the state Privilege
License Tax is intended
primarily for use by the state
but that towns may tax at
rates not exceeding the state
limits, and may offer certain
professional exemptions.
He cited the Cary, N.C., $25
tax on all businesses except
in cases in which the
maximum allowed was less
than $25. Prevatte said the
Legislature is reviewing the
Privilege License Tax and
that the Institute of Govern
ment and the League of
Municipalities recommend
that any local action be taken
with that in mind.
(See related Privilege
License Tax story in this Pilot
issue.)
The attorney also reported
on minimum square - footage
requirements being sought by
interested party National
Development Corporation
(NDC). The question of what
constituted the “main floor"
(one floor or actual living
space) was researched,
Prevatte said, and in all 100
cases the deeds are specific
in stating “main floor.”
Prevatte said he asked
NDC Representative Hannon
Templeton, who reportedly
said “main floor” is what was
intended, meaning one floor
rather than total living space.
‘YOU NAMED HIM’
A planning board report
drew the temporary ire of
(Continued On Page 18)
tinue to take positive action
on the hospital question. “We
should stay on the offensive
not the defensive,” he stated.
After the board threatened
to seek the injunction,
Chairman William Kopp, Jr.,
called for a Joint meeting to
be held between local and
state officials to solve the
hospital question in Brun
swick County.
Kopp said on August 19 that
he was going to request
Secretary David Flaharty of
the Department of Human
Resources to “immediately
set up” the meeting.
Tomlinson and aldermen
attending the special session
Thursday said they knew
nothing more about Chair
man Kopp’s proposed
meeting than what they had
read in the newspaper.
Attorney Richard Owens,
representing City Attorney
E.J. Prevatte, told the board
that the Smithville Township
hospital district petition
might require revisions to
meet the letter of the law.
Tomlinson said the petition
could be re - drawn and the
needed names secured in 24
hours. “All we would have to
do is sound the fire sirens and
people would come running to
sign the petition,” he added.
After more discussion, the
board directed Owens to
draw up another petition
meeting all laws. The board
will use the new petition if it
is needed.
Simmons Won’t
Ask Re-Election
Robert Simmons, com
missioner from Shallotte
Township, told The Pilot
Wednesday afternoon he will
not seek re-election in the
Nov. 5 General Election.
Citing “business reason”
for his stepping down,
Simmons said he would
complete his present term as
commissioner. The status of
Simmons’ name on the ballot
was not known at presstime.
Attorney Owens said the
petition might have to be re -
written because it does not
ask to create a hospital
district, contain the name of
the proposed district, and
have the names of all towns
and cities and hospitals in the
proposed district.
In other business, the board
refused to accept W.G. Wells
to represent the Stone family
to appraise the land for the
proposed park near the city
pier. The board rejected
Wells because he “owns
adjacent property and might
have a conflict of interest.”
Aldermen Pierce Horne,
who is attending a special
school in Virginia, Mary
McHose and Robert Howard
failed to attend the special
meeting.
Octoberfest
Events Grow
Plans for the first annual Oak Island Oc
toberfest, which will be held October 1 through
6, are in full swing, Long Beach Town
Manager Frank Kivett has announced.
A host of events has already been scheduled,
including a fair, demolition derby, street
dances, battle of the bands, fishing rodeo, golf
and tennis tournaments and a country and
western show featuring Miss Kitty Wells, the
Tennessee Mountain Boys and Johnny and
Bobby Wright.
Manager Kivett said the competitive events
will have prizes galore. Prize money is ex
pected to exceed $3,000 during the week.
Top prize in the music competition between
area bands and combos will be $500.
Over $700 will be awarded in the fishing
competition in three classes. The golf tour
nament will award nearly $1,000 in prizes and
the tennis competition will have $500 in prizes.
Final prizes in the demolition derby have not
been set yet.
Application blanks for the tennis tour
nament can be obtained at Waccamaw banks
in Yaupon Beach, Southport and Shallotte and
at the Long Beach Town Hall. The application
and $5 entry fee must be filed no later than
September 27, Manager Kivett said.
Over $500 in prize money will be awarded in
five classes of tennis competition matches.
The competition includes men’s and women’s
(continued on page 10)
Allen Submits Resignation
‘Serious Risk’ Warned
If Yaupon Zoning Tried
Left with an extra -
territorial zone that ap
parently means nothing,
Yaupon Beach com
missioners were told Monday
night that their board would
be taking “a serious risk” in
dealing with the area east of
the Oak Island community.
Attorney Bill Shell,
representing condominium
developer Venture
Management, interrupted the
meeting to warn that “any
action would be highly
inappropriate” on Com
missioner Bill Smalley’s
resolution concerning an
extra - territorial appointee
to the town’s planning board.
John Barbee, who with his
wife are the only adult
residents of the extra -
territorial zone, was ap
pointed to the board by the
town commissioners. All
things else being proper,
either Barbee or his wife
Voter Registration
Mrs. James Loughlin of Southport I and Mrs.
Ellen Sherrod of Southport II will be at the
Masonic building on St. George Street Wed
nesday night, September 18, at 8 o’clock to
register new voters.
In addition, Mrs. Loughlin said she will be at
the courthouse in Southport from 9 to 12 and from
2 to 4 the next two Saturdays, September 14 and
21, to give eligible voters an opportunity to
register.
Mrs. Loughlin said she will not only assist in
new registration, but in transfers from other
voting precincts and with other problems per
taining to proper registration.
should have been appointed
by the county commissioners,
and Smalley’s resolution
asked that this be done.
Smalley also asked for a
zoning map of the extra -
territorial zone, but Shell
claimed no such zone existed.
Board Attorney A.H. Gainey
agreed.
According to Gainey,
Mayor C.E. Murphy had
known for several months
that the extra - territorial
zone was improperly con
ceived and useless. The at
torney said he had told
Murphy that the extra -
territorial zoning was no
good, but rather than tell
venture Management he
should keep quiet and have
the condominium developer
comply as nearly as possible
to the would - be zoning.
Gainey said it was “not
going to cure the defects” of
the town zoning problem to
ask county commissioners to
appoint Barbee or to have a
surveyor prepare a map. He
said the town should “start
from scratch” and that he
would help.
Smalley had supported an
(Continued On Page 18)
Editorial Draws Reaction
Legal Action Commenced
To Mend Leaking Roofs !
By BILL ALLEN
The Brunswick County
Board of Education Monday
night decided to take legal
action to have leaking roofs
at the three new consolidated
high schools repaired.
The board voted
unanimously to turn the
matter over to Board At
torney Mason H. Anderson,
who was asked to initiate
appropriate legal action.
Anderson was asked to work
with Architect Jack Croft,
Supt. Ralph King and
Assistant Supt. John Hicks on
the matter.
Hicks said the leaking roofs
have already caused "con
siderable damage” at the
three high schools, which
have been open about 18
months.
Croft said he understood
that the two roofing firms had
spent about one day at each of
the three schools trying to
correct the problem without
success. "They are not going
to correct the problem with
patches,” Hicks stated. “All
the patches are going to do is
make the roofs look terrible.”
“I am tired of discussing
the problem,” Chairman
Wilber Earl Rabon told the
board. “I want to see some
action.”
Croft said he first believed
the expansion joints and the
shingles were causing the
roofs to leak. “I felt it was the
joints at first, but other leaks
have now developed,” he
added.
Anderson said he needed to
know what to tell the two
companies to do about
correcting the problem of the
leaking roofs. Hicks said he
believed that the roofs should
be removed.
Supt. King said that asking
for a re - roofing job at the
three schools, which will cost
about $60,000, was a good
starting point in the
negotiations. Anderson said
he did not believe the request
was “realistic.”
Anderson suggested that
the board needed to deter
mine the problem and obtain
estimates to repair the roof.
“The roof has to be corrected
first,” the board attorney
declared. “The thing is to find
the company that will make
the repairs and see what the
court says.”
Supt. King said the board
“had already crossed some of
the bridges” Anderson
suggested. He said the time
had come to initiate ap
propriate legal action.
“I am disappointed that the
situation has lasted as long as
it has,” Rabon said after the
board voted to turn the
matter over to Anderson and
(Continued On Page 6)